The War on Drugs and Hop Along at the National

Sunday, March 29

The war on drugs has been an unmitigated failure. Starting with Nancy Reagan’s Just Say No campaign of the early ’80s, every illegal drug (except marijuana) has gone down in price — not to mention the rise of pharmaceutical drug use. The only war on drugs that isn’t an absurd waste of time, money and resources is the band from Philadelphia named, you guessed it, the War on Drugs. And its members are waging a winnable war against bad music. Formed in 2006 by guitarists Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, the group’s concoction of country, psychedelia and rock hits you like an illicit high that isn’t too speedy or debilitating. Different from the group’s previous doses, 2014’s “Lost in Dream” has a distinct ’80s pop buzz to it, especially on the Traveling Wilbury drum machine paces of “An Ocean Between the Waves” and “Red Eyes.” The War on Drugs doles out its legal intoxications Sunday, March 29, at the National. Fellow City of brotherly Love melody makers Hop Along open. Doors at 7 p.m. Admission is $23.50-$26. thenationalva.com.